Buggy-top supporter.



No. 855,680. PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907.

A. MoL. WALTER. BUGGY TOP SUPPORTER.

APPLIOATION IILED JUNE 28, 1906.

J t: I A a Z 4 W1 TNESSES; Mali/diam A TTORNE Y5 is a side view of the supporter.

I ally extending,

UNITED STATES PATENT FFTGE.

BUGGY-TOP SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1907.

Application filed June 28,1906. Serial No. 828,758.

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADVIL MOLEAN WAL- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Summerton, in the county of Clarendon and State of South Carolina, have invented a new and useful Buggy-Top Supporter, of which the following is a specific ation.

This invention relates to bugg top supporters.

The object of the invention is to provide an extremely strong, simple, durable, inexpensive and thoroughly efficient device of the character specified which will serve to support the buggy-top in a resilient manner so as to prevent it from being damaged by jolt either while the buggy is moving over rough roads or when the top is dropped from raised to lowered position.

YVith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sup orter arranged in operative position on the uggy to Fig. 2 liig. 3 is a plan view of the same.

Like reference numerals indicate correpiponding parts in the different figures of the rawmgs.

The improved buggy-top supporter of this invention, indicated generally by A, is formed preferably of a single bar of metal which is bent at one end to produce a later U-shaped side-rail-loop 1. The side-rail-loop 1 extends laterally inward with respect to the adjacent intermediate portion 2 of the bar, and the free end 3 of said loop 1 terminates in a lower horizontal plane than the intermediate portion 2. As shown in the drawing, the intermediate portion 2 is approximately straight, and is disposed at an angle which is slightly less than a right angle with respect to said loop 1. The rear end of the straight intermediate portion 2 is bent downward and upward to form a coil 4, which is disposed in a vertical plane on the opposite side of the straight intermediate portion 2 from the loop 1. The coil,4 prefer ably is disposed below the straight intermediate portion 2, and its diameter is slightly greater than the length of the loop 1, as shown. From the coil 4 the bar extends rearwardly and is bent slightly downward, as indicated at 5, and then upward on a curve, as indicated at 6. The downwardly i ourved portion 5 preferably extends a slight distance below the level of the straight intermediate portion 2, and the rear upwardly curved portion 6 is located in a plane considerably above the straight intermediate portion 2. At its extreme rear end, the bar is bent downward and laterally to form a bow-loop 7,

.which is considerably wider than the side rail-loop 1.

v The rear end 6 and the bow-loop 7 preferably are disposed at an angle which is slightly less than a right angle with respect to each other, so that when the device is attached to a buggy, the bow-loop 7 will be almost directly in rear of the side-rail-loop 1. The lower end of the bow-loop 7 preferably terminates in ahigher horizontal plane than the upper end of the straight intermediate portion 2 of the bar so as to hold the buggy-top in a slightly elevated position when it is closed down. The bow-loop 7 preferably is provided with a tubular protective covering 8 which extends along the entire loop and is also carried forward to cover a portion of the rear end 6 of the bar so as to prevent the same from scratching the rear bow of the carriage-top. The tubular protective covering 8 preferably consists of a section of rubber piping which can be readily slipped over the bow-loop 7 and carried forward on the rear end of the bar, as described. For this reason, whenever the protective covering becomes worn, it can be easily and quickly removed and a new covering supplied. As shown in the drawing, the downwardly and upwardly curved portions 5 and 6 preferably are of about twice the length of the straight intermediate portion 2 so as to enable the approximately semi-circular bow-loop 7 to engage a carriage-top bow at a point some distance in rear of the center of balance thereof, and thus prevent any great strain from falling upon the pivot point of said bow when it is dropped downward into closed position or when the buggy is traveling over a rough road with the top lowered. The coil 4 of course permits a certain amount of resilient movement of the rear end of the bar,

It will be understood that each buggy is equipped with a pair of the improved devices of this invention. The coil 4 of each device is fitted over the prop-joint pins and the rail-loop 1 is fitted around the side-rail 11 of the buggy. By reason of the fact that the side-rail-loop 1 is approximately U-shaped, it can be readily engaged with and disengaged from said side-rail. When the siderail-loop 1 is engaged with the side-rail 11, as shown, the bow-loop 7 will be disposed in a higher position than the straight intermediate portion 2 and rail-loop 1, so that when the rear bow 12 of the buggy-top is dropped downward, it will fit into the bowloop 7 and be securely held thereby. By reason of the fact that the bow-loop 7 is elevated above the intermediate portion 2, said bow-loop can have a certain amount of downward play without causing it to fall below the level of said intermediate portion 2. It will be obvious that the tubular protective covering 8, by extending for a distance along the rear end 6 of the bar, will effectually prevent the bow 12 from coming in contact with the bar and being scratched or marred. The downwardly and upwardly curved portions 5 and 6 are provided to produce a clearance below the bow 12 so as to prevent the same from contacting with the bar between the coil 4 and the bow-loop 7.

The improved device of this invention is strong, simple, durable and inexpensive in construction as well as thoroughly practical in use.

What is claimed is:

1. A buggy top supporter comprising a bar of metal having an approximately U- shaped side rail loop extending laterally from its forward end, a coil in rear of the siderail-loop, a rearwardly and upwardly curved portion, and an approximately U-shaped bow-loop on the rear end of said bar.

2. A buggy-top supporter comprising a bar of metal having at its forward end an approximately U-shaped laterally extending side-rail-loop, a coil in rear of said siderail-loop, the diameter of said coil being greater than thelength of said loop, a straight intermediate portion between the loop and the coil, said straight portion being disposed in a plane above the upper end of the loop and coil and extending at an angle slightly less than a right angle with respect to said loop, said bar having a downwardly and upwardly curved portion in rear of said loop formed at its end with a U-shaped,laterally extending bow-loop, the lower end of said bowloop being disposed on a higher level than the straightintermediate portion of said bar, and having a detachable tubular protective covering which covers part of the rear end of said bar.

3. A buggy-top supporter comprising a bar of metal having a laterally extending side-rail-loop at its forward'end, an approximately straight intermediate portion in rear of said loop, a depending coil at the rear end of said intermediate portion, a downwardly and upwardly curved portion in rear of said loop, a laterally extending bow-loop at the rear end of said bar, and a detachable tubular protective covering extending along said bow-loop and covering a portion of the rear end of said bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses:

ADVIL MoLEAN WALTER.

Witnesses:

D. B. DAVIS, R. J .CARRIGAN. 

